Those Who Hunt Monsters
by Raziel12
Summary: Darkness is coming. Every year, the Grimm grow stronger, faster, smarter, and more numerous. Someone needs to fight them. It's a good thing that Beacon is calling in some of its most famous graduates to teach the newest generation of huntsmen and huntresses. A Final Fantasy XIII x RWBY crossover.
1. Chapter 1

**Trailer – Black**

Careless. She'd gotten so careless.

Blake put her book down on the table and locked eyes with the huntress walking toward her. For weeks after she'd left Adam behind, she'd lived looking over her shoulder. She'd been so certain that someone would come after her – either the authorities or other members of the White Fang. But no one had. Perhaps she had Adam to thank for keeping the White Fang off her back. Despite how things had ended between them, she wanted to believe that he still cared. As for the authorities, it was possible that they didn't have enough information to identify and arrest her.

So she'd let her guard down, little by little. And now, in this quiet café, they'd finally caught up to her. Oh, they were good. They'd done everything so subtly. She'd chosen this café for a reason. It was quiet and secluded but still lively enough to make starting a fight a very unfavourable proposition for anyone acting on behalf of the authorities. She didn't want to hurt anyone else, and she could easily slip away in the confusion any fight would cause.

But as she'd settled down with her book, she'd lost track of the people around her. It was a stupid mistake. And now, she was going to pay for her carelessness.

They must have emptied the café gradually – even engrossed in her book, she'd have noticed if everyone else left at the same time. If she had to guess, they'd probably spoken to management and evacuated the other customers one at a time until only Blake was left. She took a deep breath and reached for Gambol Shroud. She would fight if she had to. She couldn't let it end here, not like this.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The huntress sauntered over, her blue sari brushing against a chair before she came to a stop at Blake's table. "I didn't come here looking for a fight." She pulled a chair over and took a seat opposite Blake. "And even if you could beat me – which, I might say, is a really, really big if – you'd still never make it past my partner there."

Blake stilled as another woman, one with pink hair, came out of the café's kitchen with a freshly brewed pot of tea. To the untrained eye, she seemed nonchalant, but to Blake's keen senses, she radiated a deadly calm.

Who were these people? She should have been able to sense them long before they got this close, but she hadn't felt a thing. Then it clicked. She knew them, almost everyone did. The woman across the table from her was Oerba Yun Fang, and the pink-haired woman was Lightning Farron. They were two of the most infamous huntresses in the world.

Slowly, Blake eased her hand away from Gambol Shroud. As much as it pained her to admit it, she was better off listening than trying to escape or pick a fight. All the same, she kept herself ready to burst into action. The door wasn't that far. All she needed was an opportunity.

"Easy there. I told you, I'm not here to fight." Fang snagged two teacups from a nearby table and flashed a winning smile at Lightning. The other woman rolled her eyes and poured tea into both cups before she took a seat at another table. Fang breathed in the smell of the freshly brewed tea and sighed. Blake did the same. It smelled wonderful. "See that? Lightning's pretty handy to have around – and she makes a killer cup of tea."

The remark was met by a faint scowl and a blur of motion. Fang's eyes never left Blake's as she reached up to pluck the butter knife that Lightning had thrown at her head out of the air.

"The trouble is that she's got a bit of a temper on her."

"Why are you here?" Blake asked. She couldn't afford to let her guard down, no matter how easy going Fang appeared. That knife had been thrown with enough force to send it right through the wall of café, and Fang had caught it like it was nothing. These two were dangerous.

"I cam here to talk, that's all." Fang tossed an amused glance at Lightning. "And she's here to glare." Right on cue, Lightning glared. Blake bit back a wince. That was one scary glare. "But don't let that put you off, she's actually quite cuddly once you get past all the death threats, blunt-force trauma, bullets, and pointy things."

"I'm listening."

"Good." Fang offered Blake one of the cups of tea. Blake took the cup but didn't drink out of it. Fang chuckled and made a big show of drinking her own tea. "Look, we're not going to poison you, kid. If we wanted to take you down, we'd do it the traditional way – with sharp things and property damage." Her expression sobered, and Blake lifted the cup of tea to her lips to try and dull the sudden sharpness in Fang's gaze. "We know who you are, Blake. We've known for a very long time."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Of course they knew her name. But that didn't mean they could connect her to everything she'd done as a member of the White Fang.

Fang nodded, and Lightning passed her a sheaf of folders. The huntress spread them across the table and waited for Blake to pick one of them up. Blake peered into the folder and paled. They had a full dossier of her activities with the White Fang along with pictures of her on several of their raids.

"Those friends of yours like to make trouble, don't they?"

"They do."

"You should have worn a mask."

"I know."

"I'll be honest with you, I can kind of see where the Faunus are coming from. You guys have a tough time of things. But that doesn't justify everything the White Fang have done, not by a long shot. Heck, it doesn't justify half of what you've done. Still, I've got to give the White Fang credit. To train someone like you – they know what they're doing." Fang pulled a scroll out. There were several videos of Blake in action. Fang smiled. "You've got some moves."

"Thank you – I think."

"So I get why you joined the White Fang. What I'm trying to work out is why you left them." Fang took a sip of her tea. "Let me tell you what I think. I think that you didn't agree with the way they were doing things. I think that even though you want equal rights for the Faunus, you'd rather be helping people instead of hurting them. Am I right?"

Blake took another sip of her tea. It was perfect. Then she counted to three. "And if you are? What does it matter? You clearly have enough to arrest me. We both know that. But we both also know that I'm not going to go quietly. I don't want to hurt anyone, but there's something I have to do."

"You want to go to Beacon to become a huntress."

"How do you know that?"

"Call it a lucky guess. Besides, what better way to help others and show that the Faunus can make a positive contribution to society?" Fang looked at Lightning. The other woman gave a small nod. "And I think I can help you with that."

"How?"

"Amnesty." Lightning stood and took a seat at their table. Her blue eyes burned into Blake's. There had been nothing judgemental in Fang's gaze, but there was nothing but judgement in Lightning's. Lightning wanted to see right into Blake's soul. Blake met the older woman's eyes as best she could. "There's something coming. Each year, there are more and more Grimm, and they're getting stronger and faster and smarter. The only way we're getting through this is if humans and Faunus can set aside their difference and fight together."

"What we're offering is very simple," Fang said. "You never have anything to do with the White Fang or other organisations of that kind again. In exchange, we give you a clean slate and get you into Beacon."

"You can do that?" It sounded too good to be true, and Blake had learned that when things sounded too good to be true, they usually were. Life was never that kind.

"We can." Fang leaned back. "It's a new initiative. You'd be the first, in fact, but hopefully not the last. Of course, there would be consequences if you went back on the deal. We'd have to hunt you down and take you apart piece by piece. But I don't think it will come to that."

"And if I don't want to go to Beacon?"

"Then you don't have to." Fang sighed and waved one hand at Lightning. The other huntress handed over another folder. Blake looked inside it. There were identity documents there – enough for a new start. "Those will be enough to help you start again, if that's what you want. You could take a nice job in an office, or maybe even become a librarian."

"Why would you do this?" Blake's hands tightened around the folder. People didn't do things like this without a reason. There was always a reason. Nothing ever came for free.

"Because I know what it's like to do bad things to help the people you call family. Because I know what it's like to grow up with nothing." Fang shrugged. "And because I'm sure that whatever you decide, you're not going to hurt anyone unless you have no choice."

Something that could almost have been called hope flared in Blake's chest. "How could you even get me into Beacon?"

"Lightning here is going to become a professor over at Beacon – head of the Advanced Combat and Tactics program. Guess who's going to be her second-in-command?" Fang chuckled. "Besides, we've already run this past the headmaster. He's a nice guy, actually. I think you'd like him. A little laid back, maybe, but he's the best at what he does."

"I haven't gone to the other academies –"

"Not a problem," Lightning said. "It's possible to gain admittance to Beacon via recommendation. You'll do."

"You don't have to give us your answer right away. You've got a few days, at least." Fang stood, along with Lightning. "You can keep those files, by the way. We've got copies. But here, have this. It's a ticket for an airship to Beacon." They headed toward the door of the café, but Fang stopped at the door and turned. "You never noticed what we were doing, you were that interested in your book. Beacon has a very good library."

Blake waited until the two were gone before she picked up the ticket. Was it really going to be that simple? She smiled. Maybe it was. As customers finally began to file back into the café, she gathered the folders and left. She had some shopping to do – there was no telling what she might need at Beacon.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I do not own Final Fantasy or RWBY. I'm not making any money off this either.

So, I said I'd get around to a Final Fantasy XIII and RWBY crossover, and here it is. As the title of this chapter suggests, there are going to be several "trailers" before we really get started. I plan on doing one for each of the RWBY girls, and you can expect appearances from Final Fantasy characters in those (most likely Final Fantasy XIII characters, but I'm not limiting myself to only Final Fantasy XIII).

I thought Fang would be the best person to approach Blake for this. There is a period in Blake's past that still isn't completely accounted for (the time immediately after she parts with Adam but before she comes to Beacon). How did she manage to get a recommendation into Beacon (since it seems safe to say that she didn't attend one of the other academies)? This chapter offers one possible explanation.

Out of all the RWBY girls, Blake is often the most level headed and calm. Having someone personable like Fang approach her and make the offer of amnesty is a sound approach. Naturally, Lightning is there in case a sterner form of persuasion is required. Strangely enough, I do think Blake and Fang would get on very well (see e.g., how well Blake handles her teammates).

So, yeah, you can look forward to three more trailers (I haven't decided on the order yet), and then we'll get onto the proper chapters. In terms of straying from the timeline etc., it should be clear that there's going to be a bit of that. This crossover is set primarily in the RWBY world but with the introduction of some Final Fantasy characters and concepts – some deviation is absolutely going to be necessary.

As an aside, I also write original fiction. If you're interested in that, you can find the details in my profile.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	2. Chapter 2

**Trailer – White**

"How dare you!" Weiss clutched at her side where the blunted practice rapier had caught her across the ribs. Even with her aura, the force of the blow had almost brought tears to her eyes. None of her other combat tutors had ever dared to strike her like this before. She wasn't sure whether to be afraid or excited. "I am the heiress of –"

"You are nothing." The blonde woman's voice snapped out, cold and clinical. Another blow added to the sting, this one across her other side. "No, you are less than nothing because you still don't understand how insignificant you are."

"You cannot talk to me this way!" Weiss grabbed her rapier and lunged. The older woman parried her strike effortlessly and kicked her feet out from under her. Weiss crashed to the ground, and the blonde drove one boot into her gut. She slid across the floor of the practice hall and curled into a ball.

"It should be obvious by now that you aren't in a position to tell me what I can and cannot do." The blonde favoured with Weiss with a sigh of disappointment and reached up to adjust her glasses. "I was told, little girl, that you were trained – that you were ready. I see now that your previous tutor was lying. You aren't ready, not even close. You're just a little girl playing at being a huntress. Go back to your dolls, little girl, your dolls and your family's money."

Weiss staggered back to her feet. How deeply those words cut – they hurt even more than the blows she'd taken. There was nothing in the world she feared more than being useless. She refused to be useless. She refused to be nothing more than a pretty face with a famous name. She'd prove to her father – to everyone – that she was more than worthy of being heiress. She wasn't perfect yet. But one day, she would be.

"Who are you?"

The blonde smiled. "I already told you, or is your hearing as poor as your swordsmanship? I am Jihl Nabaat, your new combat tutor."

A mere tutor would never have been able to see through her so easily. Weiss grit her teeth. "No, I didn't mean your name. Who are you really?"

"Very good, perhaps you're not worthless after all." Jihl's expression went from mocking to deadly serious. "I am a huntress, little girl, and I know what you want. You want to become a huntress because they have the only real power in the world. You have money. You have prestige. You have influence. But what do those things matter? Tell me, do you think they matter to the White Fang? No. All of that money, that prestige and influence, cannot change the simple, fundamental truth: if I wanted to, I could kill you where you stand. Those relatives of yours thought they were safe because of who they were, but you know better, don't you? You know that who you are doesn't make you safe, it's what you can do that matters."

Weiss stilled.

"But a huntress, if you could become a huntress, think of all the things you could do. No one would ever be able to take from you what is yours. And your family's company? Who better to protect it – to rule it – than a huntress? The White Fang fancy themselves as wolves preying on sheep, but you won't be like the others, will you? You're not a sheep. At least, you don't want to be. And what is a wolf to a huntress? What is a wolf to one who hunts monsters? Nothing."

"Yes… yes, that's what I want." Weiss stepped forward. The pain in her side was forgotten. For all the cruelty she'd already shown, Jihl understood.

"I was the same as you once, little girl." Jihl circled Weiss slowly. In a flash of movement, her rapier flicked out. Weiss parried the first blow only to take the second across her shoulder. She dropped to her knees, and Jihl grabbed her by the arm and tossed her back like a sack of garbage.

Weiss summoned a glyph to break her fall and turned to meet the next assault. Jihl was frighteningly fast and utterly ruthless. The older woman pulled her blows just enough to keep them from crippling or killing, but that only served to drive home her point. Jihl was toying with her. The skills that Weiss had worked so hard for were nothing more than a joke to the older woman.

"The only way to learn – really learn – is to suffer. Only pain can burn the lessons you must learn into your mind and body." Jihl rapped Weiss across the knuckles. The girl dropped her rapier with a hiss. "Consider this my first lesson: pain is a fact of life. You will never succeed until you learn to master it. Pick up your sword."

Weiss picked her sword up and forced her aching hand to hold it steady.

"Speed and precision are of utmost importance in a fight."

Jihl darted forward, and Weiss found herself dropping back beneath an intricate series of strikes. Suddenly, she found herself trapped against a pillar. Jihl's rapier stabbed into the pillar beside Weiss's head.

"Always be aware of your surroundings, and always have a plan. Simply charging into battle is foolishness of the highest order. You must always have a plan, and you must execute it without doubt or hesitation. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Then show me."

Weiss attacked. Years of lessons had given her almost perfect form, but that meant nothing against Jihl. The older woman read her like a book, and each blow was either parried or dodged before a reply came with stinging accuracy and brutal force.

"You silly, little girl. This isn't a dance. This is a fight." Jihl laughed. "You've memorised the forms, but you've understood nothing. Elegance is not a path to victory – it is a consequence of victory. True elegance comes either from controlling the actions of the opponent completely or anticipating them perfectly. To do that, you must go beyond merely imitating the forms of combat. Only when you understand the rules will you be able to control and anticipate your opponent. Only then will you know when to follow the rules and when to break them."

Weiss stumbled back. Jihl had punctuated each sentence with another strike.

"You fight like a textbook, and a textbook can always be read in advance." Jihl hammered away at Weiss's left side only to switch, flowing seamlessly into an attack on her right side that utterly bypassed the parry that Weiss had planned. "Predictability means death."

On and on it went until Weiss's body was all but numb to the pain. Exhaustion swept over her. Jihl knew every style that she'd been taught, and she broke them down as they fought, reducing each style to its core principles and reinforcing her words with her rapier. Simple imitation of form was unacceptable. Jihl demanded understanding. Why was a particular strike parried in a certain way? Why should her feet be in a given position to deliver a riposte? Jihl asked her questions with her rapier, and she would accept no answer save that which Weiss could provide with her own weapon.

When it was finally over, Weiss slumped to the ground. Jihl's lips curled.

"Look at you, and look at me. Which one of us is powerful, and which one of us is weak?"

Weiss found the energy to snarl.

"Good. You still have some fight left in you. You'll need it." Jihl turned on her heel. "I expect you back here at the same time tomorrow. Do not be late."

Weiss wasn't sure how long it took her to finally get back onto her feet. She stumbled to the door and called for one of her servants to help her back to her room. Her father was horrified when he discovered what had happened. He wanted to send Jihl away. He wanted to have the woman flogged. He wanted –

"No, father." Weiss smiled coldly. "Let her stay. I'm not a little girl anymore. I know I have what it takes to lead our family. I refuse to be weak, and Jihl can make me strong."

There was sadness and approval in her father's eyes.

"I see." He took a deep breath. "I know you will make me – our family – proud."

For three years, Weiss studied under Jihl. It was three years of insults, mocking, pain, and constant, merciless attack. But Weiss would not break. And she learned. Oh, how she learned. She learned that there was beauty and elegance in battle, but not merely in flawless technique. Rather, true beauty and true elegance could only be found in the union of flawless technique with flawless understanding, both of her opponent and herself.

Understanding opponents and herself meant learning as much as she could about all the tools she had at her disposal. She'd known how to use Dust for years. Jihl showed her how wield it with all the force of a sledgehammer or all the precision of a scalpel.

Jihl accepted no excuses during their lessons and offered no quarter save what was necessary to keep Weiss from permanent injury. Yet, strange as it was, Weiss's resentment faded. Jihl lied to her frequently, but not all the time. Jihl didn't pretend to be her friend the way so many others did, nor did she pretend to care about the pain she inflicted. Jihl's contempt – and regard – was often difficult to ascertain, but that too was a lesson. Deception was a powerful tool in battle, but it was powerful outside of battle as well. Weiss learned how to see through deception, and how to use it for herself.

Weiss came to understand the true nature of the authority she wielded. Others followed her because of her name. As heiress, they had no choice but to do as she asked. Yet as her skills grew, she found her servants looking upon her with new respect. She was no longer a girl in their eyes. She was a woman – one who could survive the brutal training regime that Jihl set.

Jihl wasn't always there. Now and then, she would leave to deal with the Grimm in the surrounding area. But that didn't mean that Weiss could slack off. No, Jihl expected her to study in her own time, and she expected constant improvement. Weiss had learned that the hard way. Once, she'd chosen to slack off when Jihl was gone. The older woman had beaten her so badly during their next training sessions that their first meeting had seemed like a holiday in comparison. Weiss had never slacked off again.

And Jihl was not without her moments of kindness, as rare as they were. It was Jihl who had helped Weiss select Myrtenaster.

"No student of mine will disgrace me by bringing an unfit weapon into combat." Jihl sneered. "And at least this way, you cannot blame any failure on your weapon."

At the end of those three years, Weiss defeated a gigantic suit of armour. It was the latest in a long line of tests. A few days later, Jihl called her to the practice hall where she had learned so much.

"This will be our last lesson, Weiss."

Weiss's eyes widened. That was the first time that Jihl had ever used her name. "But… I passed your test. I –"

"Yes, you passed. That is why this will be our last lesson." There was a flash of sadness in Jihl's eyes, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had come. Her eyes hardened. "I've already made the arrangements. You will be attending Beacon."

"Beacon!"

"Yes. To your credit, these last three years haven't been a complete waste. But there are some things you can only learn for yourself, and you're still so young. Besides, you have to learn to work as part of a team. There are some battles that cannot be fought alone. Believe me, I know." Jihl raised her rapier in a salute. "Do your best at Beacon. There are powerful people there. Learn everything you can and remember all that I have taught you."

Weiss saluted back. "I will."

"One last time then." Jihl took up her stance. "Show me what you've learned."

Afterward, as Weiss lay exhausted on the ground, Jihl reached down to help her up. It was the first time that Jihl had ever bothered to help her up before.

Jihl tugged her close. "Don't you dare fail at Beacon. I will not have it said that I wasted my time with you." Then she was gone, pulling away and walking out of the hall.

Weiss waited until Jihl had left before she began to laugh. That was probably the nicest thing that Jihl had ever said to her. She wasn't stupid. She'd done her homework on Jihl. One of her professors at Beacon would likely be Lightning Farron, the huntress who had, quite famously, beaten Jihl in the largest tournament in Beacon's history.

Weiss would go to Beacon, and she'd be the best they'd ever seen. She'd do what even Jihl hadn't been able to.

X X X

"I must admit, I never thought I'd see the day when you, of all people, recommended a student."

Jihl scoffed. "Just make sure that you don't ruin her, Lightning. She has potential."

"She must, for you to speak so highly of her." Lightning stared over her desk at the other woman. "You know, it almost seems like you care."

"Perhaps I do." Jihl got up to leave. "Make sure she's ready when the time comes. I will be very, very disappointed if you undo all the hard work I've done."

"Leaving? I still owe you a rematch."

"I know, but not today. I hate to take chances, and I still haven't come up with a way of beating the annoying Semblance of yours. I'd call it cheating, but there's no such thing as cheating in a battle between huntresses."

"I see. Shall I keep you posted on her progress?"

"Yes." Jihl paused at the door. "And one more thing. Don't let her turn out like me."

"I think you're not giving yourself enough credit."

"And I think you're giving me too much." Jihl laughed softly, bitterly. "Fang was right – you are soft." She opened the door. "Maybe next time, I'll take you up on that rematch."

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I do not own Final Fantasy or RWBY. I'm not making any money off this either.

Weiss is a fascinating character. At first glance, there's no real reason for an heiress to push herself so hard, never mind become a huntress. Her family has enough money, influence, and power that she could do almost anything she wanted with her life. But during the series, it became clear that the actions of the White Fang had left a very strong impression on her.

And like many people from illustrious families, I think Weiss wants to set herself apart, to become worthy of her name. She fears being useless, and a huntress is the opposite of useless. She also fears being helpless. She's seen for herself that there are some things that money and influence cannot stop. The only way to ensure her safety – and the safety of her family – is to become stronger, to become a huntress.

I came up with the idea of using Jihl in this chapter almost as soon as I decided I wanted to do the white trailer next. There is some real steel in Weiss's spine under the haughty arrogance, but who – or what – could have put it there? I don't think there's anyone better than Jihl to beat some toughness into Weiss while still fostering that sense of superiority.

On another note, I will be running a promotion for my original fiction this Saturday (18th January, Pacific Standard Time). On Saturday, _The Last Huntress_ will be available from Amazon for free. You can find a link to it in my profile, and I'll be posting a more visible link once the promotion kicks off. Give it a try, who knows you might like it!

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

**Trailer – Yellow**

Yang wasn't sure what to expect. Beacon Academy was the most famous institute of its kind in the world. If she wanted to be the best – and she did – she needed to go there. Confidence wasn't a problem. She knew that she was good enough to cut it with the cream of the crop. Heck, give her a few years and she'd be running the place!

But getting into Beacon wasn't as simple as getting good grades although hers were more than good enough. There was the not-so-small matter of the practical exam. No one knew exactly what the exam involved since it was kept secret and apparently changed from year to year. All she had was a slip of paper telling her when and where her exam would be.

As she approached the large building where the exam would be held, she felt the first stirrings of unease. Confident or not, it was impossible to ignore all the people piled up in a makeshift infirmary. Most of them seemed to be around her age, so they had to be other people here for the exam. Quite a few of them looked like they'd been run over by a train.

"What happened here?" she ambled over to one of the beds. "Is this all from the exam?"

"The exam?" The boy on the bed shuddered and clutched at his stomach. "You bet it was the exam." He winced and grabbed her arm. "If you're here for the exam, be careful."

"I will be." Yang pulled away. Well, this was definitely different.

She waited near the entrance as, one by one, the exam supervisor at the door ushered people into the building. And one by one, people stumbled out looking very much like they'd been through the fight of their lives. One of the young men seemed to have lost most of his shirt while another didn't even have any shoes left.

An almost feral smile crossed her lips. This was going to be fun. Finally, it was her turn. The exam supervisor waved her through the doors into the building. The door slammed shut behind her, and Yang found herself walking down a long corridor. Her senses were on high alert. They could be anywhere, just waiting for her to let her guard down.

Long moments passed in utter silence, and she eyed the end of the corridor. This was taking way too long. With a growl, she broke into a run. She kicked open the doors at the end of the corridor and emerged into an enormous, coliseum-like arena. Her eyes narrowed. This place was big enough to sit hundreds of people, but all of the seats were empty.

Actually, not all of them were empty. There were people sitting about halfway up. One of them was an older, dark-skinned man with an Afro. He had a pair of guns at his side. Was he going to be testing her? Next to him was a little boy. The similarities between them were unmistakable. Perhaps they were father and son. And on the other side of the little boy was, of all things, a chocobo chick.

The older man was watching her with a calm but serious expression while the boy grinned and waved. Clambering up into the boy's lap, the chocobo seemed to be studying her closely. A shiver went up her spine. There was something unsettling about the chocobo, for all that it was tiny. It wasn't just there to keep the boy company – it seemed to know and understand exactly what was going on.

"Uh…" Yang scratched the back of her head. What was she supposed to do now? The whole cloak-and-dagger secrecy thing kind of made it hard to get things going. "Am I in the right place?" It was a big building. "I'm here for the exam, but…"

"Well, you're in the right place." The dark-skinned man glanced down at his scroll. "You are Yang Xiao Long, right?

"I am." Yang ran one hand through her hair. "So… when does the exam start? It's supposed to be a practical exam, so I thought I might have to fight your or something. But you're up there and, no offence, the kid's cute and all, but he doesn't seem like a threat. And the chocobo… yeah… not too scary either."

The kid giggled, but the chocobo glared.

"Oh, you'll be fighting someone, all right. As for when the exams stars, it's already started."

"What –"

It was the boy who gave it away. He'd been looking at her this entire time, but then his eyes flicked past her – above her – to something, or someone, else. That was enough warning for her. Yang leapt forward, rolling away from the attack she knew would come.

There was a loud crunch, and the ground exploded, throwing her further back. She landed on her feet, skidding across the floor as she spun to see who her opponent would be. The older man hadn't seemed the least bit threatening. That wasn't the case with the person who emerged from the cloud of dust that billowed over the crater in the ground.

He was huge, easily the biggest man she'd ever seen. His blonde hair was a sharp contrast to the black clothing her wore, and his blue eyes were ice-cold. As for the crater he'd made, she frowned. He'd done that with nothing but his fist. The amount of aura that would have taken… and she hadn't even noticed him behind her.

Yang took up a fighting stance, a smile slipping across her lips. She'd been hoping for a bit of challenge, and it looked like she was going to get one. This… this was going to be fun.

"So, I'm guessing you're the one I have to fight." Yang clenched her fists. Ember Celica slipped into place, the familiar weight of her gauntlets equal parts exciting and comforting. "I'm Yang Xiao Long, and I'm going to kick your ass."

The blonde's lips twitched at her words. "You're definitely confident. Let's see what you can do."

Yang darted forward, leaping up to throwing a kick straight at his head before she spun effortlessly into another aimed at his side. He leaned away from the first and caught the second, flinging her back across the arena. She landed on her feet. He was fast for someone his size, but that was okay. She was faster, she was certain of it.

She charged, firing her gauntlets to boost her speed. He was too tall for her to easily reach his head with her fists, so she aimed her punches at his chest. He leaned away from a right cross and then slapped away a hook aimed at his side. One of her uppercuts managed to get within an inch of his chin. He hadn't retaliated yet, so she poured on the speed, mixing some kicks in with her punches and augmenting each punch with a shot from Ember Celica.

And still she hadn't managed to land a solid blow. Sure, he'd blocked a few times, but he'd shrugged off Ember Celica's shots like they were nothing. She wasn't sure whether to be impressed or just plain pissed off. She settled for pissed off. He wasn't taking her seriously. In that case, she'd make him take her seriously.

She upped the speed and force of her attacks again, flowing seamlessly for one strike to the next. He upped his own speed, but she refused to be outdone. There was no way that someone that big could be faster than her! Finally, she landed a clean hit, driving one fist straight into his gut and firing Ember Celica directly into his stomach. He slid backward, his feet tearing furrows into the ground. She paused. Had she actually managed to hurt him?

Then he looked up, lips curving up ever so slightly at the edges. In a blur of motion, he lunged forward and threw a punch straight at her head. She barely managed to get her arms up in time to block, but it hardly seemed to matter. Ember Celica rattled beneath the force of the blow and a deep shudder ran through her before she hurtled back, slamming into the wall of the arena with enough force to crack it.

She dropped to the ground, cursing as she found her feet again. Damn, he hit hard.

"Was that all you've got?" He raised one eyebrow. "I thought you'd have more. Weren't you going to kick my ass?"

"I am." Yang growled. She was done holding back. It was time to do what she did best: kick ass and take names. She roared, her eyes changing colour as she unleashed her Semblance. Flame billowed around her. She'd show him what she could do.

This time, jets of flame joined her punches and kicks and the shots of her gauntlets. His eyes widened a fraction before he began to give ground, forced back by the sheer heat of her attacks. The ground at their feet began to glow faintly, and a stray blast left a trail of molten stone in its wake. But still she couldn't hit him.

Yang's irritation grew, and with it the heat of her fire. She became a whirling dervish of fists and flame. She needed an opening – and there it was! She gathered as much of her flame as she could into her fist and drove a punch straight at his sternum. With the addition of her gauntlet's firepower, it didn't matter how much aura he had. He'd definitely feel this.

Things didn't quite work out that way.

There was a flash of light as he caught her fist in one of his hands and then a rush of steam. Yang strained against his grip and then stilled as a biting cold dug into her flesh through the metal of her gauntlets. She looked down. Ice had begun to form on Ember Celica while the ground beneath them was already coated in a thick sheen of ice. She yelped and tugged her hand free, flipping away to put distance between them. Her Semblance flared to ward off the sudden chill that had fallen over the arena.

"That's a nice Semblance that you've got there." He smiled. "Fire?"

Yang found herself smiling back. The smile on his face now was a real one, wide and warm and friendly. Had his serious mood before been nothing more than an act? Maybe, since the smile on his face certainly seemed to suit him better than a frown. There was no mistaking the mirth in his eyes either.

"And your Semblance is ice, isn't it?" Yang laughed. "How convenient."

"It does fit with my name." He relaxed slightly. Little wisps of frosts fluttered through the air around him. "I'm Snow Villiers."

Wait… she knew that name. Ruby kept track of all the most famous huntsmen and huntresses. She'd seen Snow in some of the magazines Ruby read. He was supposed to be very good. No wonder, they'd sent him to do the evaluation. That might also explain the small army of walking wounded outside too. He packed a punch.

"So... how many people have you passed so far?"

"Not many." Snow slipped back into a fighting stance. "But I'm starting to think you'll be one of them."

Yang grinned back. "I will be."

They fought for another fifteen minutes, and they were fifteen of the most enjoyable minutes of Yang's life. Snow was exceptional at hand-to-hand combat. His strength and size combined with his speed and Semblance made him a deadly opponent. Even better, she didn't have to worry about holding back like she normally did when sparring. She could throw everything she had at him without worrying about hurting him.

It was fun.

By the time they were finished, the floor and walls of the arena were covered in scorch marks, craters, and ice. They'd even destroyed some of the seating, although they'd both been careful to avoid harming the people watching them. Finally, Snow held one hand up.

"That's enough."

Yang lowered her fists and smirked. "So, do I pass?"

"In my book, you do. But it's not up to just me." Snow glanced up at the dark-skinned man. "Those three there have been evaluating you too."

Yang gaped. "Seriously?" The older man she could understand, but the kid and the chocobo? That was crazy.

"Don't underestimate them. Sazh is a huntsman too."

"I guess…"

"And Dajh and Chirpy have been watching all day."

"Right…" Yang wasn't feeling too reassured by that.

"Okay, let's see." Sazh glanced down at his scroll. "You've shown an outstanding level of physical ability. You're strong, you're fast, and you're tough. You're also very good at hand-to-hand combat, and you've shown the ability to adapt on the fly. That Semblance of yours isn't half bad either. However… you are a little bit impetuous, and your preferred method of fighting appears to be to punch things until they can't get up anymore." He smiled. "All things considered, I think you did very well." He lifted up a scorecard. "You get a 9/10 from me."

The little boy, Dajh, gave her two thumbs up. "She was awesome daddy." He fumbled for a scorecard. "10/10."

"Uh… yay?" Yang supposed this was a good thing. 19/20 wasn't bad.

The little chocobo hopped off Dajh's lap and struggled to raise his scorecard. "Kweh."

It was a 1/10.

"Are you kidding?" Yang jabbed one finger at the chocobo. "I was awesome, and you know it!"

The chocobo let loose an extended series of chirps, none of which made any sense to Yang, but which brought a grin to Sazh's face.

"What's he saying?" Yang demanded.

Sazh bit back a laugh. "He's saying that he'll take you on anytime, anywhere."

"Really?" Yang bared her teeth. "Get down here, birdy."

The chocobo actually managed to get a few steps before Dajh scooped him up. The little boy patted the bird on the head. "Don't be mean, Chirpy. You have to be fair."

"Kweh." The chocobo somehow managed to pout before lifting another scorecard. It was a 2/10. Yang growled.

"Chirpy…"

"Kweh." The chocobo sighed and lifted one more scorecard. Yang relaxed. A 9/10 was much better.

"That's better." Yang looked back at Snow. "Those scores don't really mean anything, do they?"

Snow laughed. "Sazh's does. Chirpy and Dajh are just here to watch. Plus, we get to see how people handle surprises." He nodded at the far end of the arena. "Take that door over there. Sazh has already let them know you passed. Someone there will help you with all the paperwork. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Yang grinned and then paused. She was forgetting something… wait! "Hey, you're famous, right?"

"Pretty famous, I guess." Snow shrugged.

"My sister really, really wants to be a huntress. Do you think I could get your autograph for her and maybe Sazh's too? You can make them out to Ruby."

"Ruby?" Snow pursed his lips. "I swear Lightning mentioned someone named Ruby, or was it Serah? Never mind." He looked back at Yang. "We'd be happy to."

X X X

Ruby was overjoyed when she found out that Yang passed, but she was even happier when Yang presented her with several autographed photos. The Sazh Katzroy and Snow Villiers autographed photos went straight into her collection along with the signed photos from Dajh and Chirpy.

"You actually got to fight Snow Villiers?" Ruby practically squealed. "That is so awesome. Plus, you get to go to Beacon! You're so lucky."

"Well, I am pretty awesome." Yang grinned.

"And the chocobo picked a fight with you?" Ruby giggled. "I wish I could have seen that."

"If he was bigger and breathed fire, I might be worried. But I can handle one chocobo chick."

"I'm sure you can." Ruby threw her arms around Yang. "Congratulations, and thanks so much for the presents."

Yang hugged her little sister back. Yep, she was the best big sister ever.

X X X

**Author's Notes**

As always, I don't own Final Fantasy or RWBY. I'm also not making any money off of this.

This chapter has a slightly different feel to it from the others, but I think that is mostly due to the characters involved. Yang is just a really sunny sort of person and so is Snow. Throw in Sazh, Dajh, and their pet chocobo and you have a recipe for a more carefree chapter than anything involving Blake or Weiss.

That said, this version of the RWBY world demands a more demanding exam to get into Beacon, and that's what Snow and Sazh delivered. Who better to assess the qualities of a prospective huntsman or huntress than an experienced huntsman or huntress? And although Snow is actually quite a nice guy, his size means that he can certainly look scary if he wants to. Still, I do think that Yang and Snow would get along quite well. They'd be good friends.

This is the third trailer, meaning that there is only one left: Ruby's. That should be interesting. I'm currently mulling over who will appear in that, but Snow does give a bit of a clue.

Finally, I also write original fiction, a lot of which is fantasy. If you enjoy my fan fiction, I'm sure you'll enjoy my original fiction too. You can find links to it in my profile, and I've just released my first novel-length story, _Durendal_, on Amazon.

As always, I appreciate feedback. Reviews and comments are welcome.


End file.
